Gobi Altai mountain vole
| Gobi Altai mountain vole | ||||||||||||
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| Alticola barakshin | ||||||||||||
| Bannikov , 1947 |
The Gobi-Altai mountain vole ( Alticola barakshin ) is a species of rodent belonging to the genus of the mountain voles ( Alticola ). It occurs in the Altai Mountains in parts of Mongolia and in Tuva in Russia .
features
The Gobi-Altai mountain vole reaches a head-trunk length of 10.0 to 12.5 centimeters with a tail of 1.8 to 2.6 centimeters in length and a weight of about 31 to 40 grams. The rear foot length is 17 to 21 millimeters, the ear length 15 to 19 millimeters. The back fur is variable in its color, but usually brownish gray with dull reddish washings on the back and the sides of the body. The peritoneum is greyish white with pale orange washings. The tail is very short and two-tone, the top is pale brown and the underside is white. The tops of the feet are white to off-white.
distribution
The Gobi-Altai mountain vole occurs in the Altai Mountains in the Gobi-Altai and in the Mongolian Altai in parts of Mongolia and in Tuva in Russia . She is also a find from the Tian Shan in Chinese Xinjiang documented. The altitude distribution is around 900 to 2500 meters.
Way of life
The Gobi-Altai mountain vole lives mainly in scree areas with bushes on slopes, whereby juniper bushes are preferred. Almost no information is available about the way of life of the animals. The animals eat herbivorous plant parts. A lactating female was caught in June and had six placental scars, suggesting a litter of six pups.
The distribution area of the species borders on that of the Mongolian silver vole ( Alticola semicanus ) and the Stoliczka mountain vole ( Alticola stoliczkanus ) as well as the silver mountain vole ( Alticola argentatus ) and it probably overlaps with that of the Tuvan silver vole ( Alticola tuvinicus ).
Systematics
The Gobi-Altai mountain vole is classified as an independent species within the genus of the mountain voles ( Alticola ), which consists of twelve species. The first scientific description comes from the Russian zoologist Andrei Grigorjewitsch Bannikow from 1947, who described the species using individuals from the Gobi-Altai (Gurvan Saihan Ridge, Dzun Saihan) in southern Mongolia. Sometimes the species was considered a subspecies of the Stoliczka mountain vole ( Alticola stoliczkanus ).
Status, threat and protection
Although little information is available about the population and the actual range of the Gobi-Altai mountain vole, it is classified as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). This is justified with the very large distribution area and the assumed large populations of the species. In the distribution area of the species, there are no known risks that could endanger the population, as no information is available.
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c d Darrin Lunde, Andrew T. Smith: Gobi Altai Mountain Vole. In: Andrew T. Smith , Yan Xie: A Guide to the Mammals of China. Princeton University Press, Princeton NJ 2008, ISBN 978-0-691-09984-2 , p. 217.
- ↑ a b c d Alticola barakshin in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016.2. Posted by: N. Batsaikhan, 2008. Retrieved September 21, 2016.
- ↑ a b Alticola barakshin . In: Don E. Wilson , DeeAnn M. Reeder (Eds.): Mammal Species of the World. A taxonomic and geographic Reference. 2 volumes. 3. Edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 .
literature
- Darrin Lunde, Andrew T. Smith: Gobi Altai Mountain Vole. In: Andrew T. Smith , Yan Xie: A Guide to the Mammals of China. Princeton University Press, Princeton NJ 2008, ISBN 978-0-691-09984-2 , p. 217.
Web links
- Alticola barakshin inthe IUCN 2016 Red List of Threatened Species . Posted by: N. Batsaikhan, 2008. Retrieved September 21, 2016.